WITCHCRAFT 331

the episodes of the struggle between Rangda and the great
Erlangga. Dancing interludes by six little girls, the pupils of the
witch, alternate with slapstick, the encounters of the king's sub-
jects with leyalcs, and with dramatic songs by the prince sent to
kill Rangda. She is impersonated by an old actor gifted with
such great powers that he is able to withstand, in his own body,
the dangerous spirit of the witch herself.

Towards dawn the atmosphere becomes surcharged with mys-
tery as the old actor goes into Rangda's house to enter into the
trance. Watchmen are appointed to wake all the children that
have fallen asleep lest their tender souls be harmed; a priest
stands ready to conjure Rangda, who will make her triumphal
appearance at the end of the play. A flickering lamp can be seen
through the curtains of the house, and there is an occasional
groan from the actor as he undergoes the painful transformation.
Meantime below, as the music becomes violent, the prince ad-
vances across the dancing-space with his kris drawn. With a
yell of defiance he starts up the bridge, just as a blood-curdling
howl is heard inside the house, the voice of Rangda. Unex-
pectedly, fireworks, strung on invisible wires all over the trees,
begin to explode over the heads of the crowd. The audience is
on edge as the curtains part and the frightful form of Rangda
appears, shrieking curses upon the prince, who is put to flight
as the old witch descends, bellowing, amidst clouds of smoke,
sparks, and explosions.

The climax is a critical moment, as it is never known what will
happen next. It is not unusual for Rangda to run wild and go
about the village moaning, or to disappear into the blackness
of the ricefields. The actor, who is possessed by the spirit of the
real Rangda, is hard to bring under control. I have been told
of an old actor from Tedjakula who, after impersonating Rangda,
ran amuck and went insane when captured. He is said never to
have regained his mental balance. To the Balinese this was,
once more, the evidence of the danger of releasing uncontrolled
magic powers.